Library Board tries to Squash Rumors

I-towners, we have a big vote coming up on December 14th. (If you have been out of the loop. there is a 2nd library vote.)

There is so much misinformation being spread by uninformed people that I wanted to help spread the truth.

When I have questions, I email the library board members directly or I post something on the Library Proposal Facebook page. The members always respond in a timely manner with lengthly explanations. These are some excerpts from emails I received from the Library Board. (Remember--theses people are regular, taxpaying I-town residents who have NO political agenda.) Why would they lie?

The following email was sent by Miriam Ganze:

"Many of you read Alban Reichert's letter to the Post stating that the bond resolution was for 22 million dollars. The bond resolution, as we all know, is for 13 million. That is a matter of public record. We will borrow 13 million dollars and pay that back with interest. However, as every home owner knows, we borrow principal not interest. Where Mr. Reichert and Mr. Barone keep coming up with this 22 million dollar figure, we don't know. But we do know that our late library board treasurer, Karyl Mammano, who was a professor of finance teaching both graduate and undergraduates at St. John Fisher College, calculated that the cost to repay the 13 million dollar bond would not be more than $29 per year for the average $100K home in Irondequoit. That is paying back both principal and interest. However, because the town will not borrow the 13 million all at once, the interest could be even less. They will borrow in increments called bands and the interest on bands is much less than the interest on an entire bond. So homeowners could see a lower tax increase when the bands are borrowed. These are verifiable facts which can be researched in more reliable sources than by calling Mr. Barone, as Mr. Reichert proposes.

Likewise, Mr. Reichert does some fancy foot work with his information about the "Stipulation." As he says, this stipulation rescinded the original resolution. But although it is true that original resolution was approved by the voters, the stipulation makes no ruling on the vote. The town had to pass a second resolution, but that did not mean that the people had to vote again. Since the resolution passed the town board unanimously, there was no need for a second vote. This was forced by Mr. Barone and his petitioners. Many towns bond without a referendum.

One more time, we are making a plea that supporters will turn out at least for the open forum at the beginning of this Tuesday's board meeting to show that we aren't drinking the kool aid, and we do support the new library. See you on the 19th."

On one of my blogs about the library, another town watchdog (not Barone- the other one) commented on how the BBQ and books fundraiser did not make any money. I received the following email from Elaine Cole about the fundraiser:

"The BBQ and Blues for Books event was enormously successful on all fronts. People loved it. They expressed their gratitude to the Library board for all they are doing to move our beautiful new library forward. Attendees liked the family-friendly environment. Everyone suggested that we do it next year, which we expect to do. And it raised approximately $6000 in profit. So how someone can say this event proves that no one supports the library? How do you translate over 700 attendees and $6000 profit with a lack of support?"

I will be voting YES! for the library on December 14th. If I have to wait outside in the snow for 45 minutes with my two children, I will. And I hope you will too.